NASCAR Driver Capsules, April 4 - Part 1

Capsules for the top 20 drivers in the Sprint Cup stands, plus five additional drivers of note.

By Jerry Bonkowski and Bob Moore

88 DALE EARNHARDT JR., Chevrolet

Team: Hendrick Motorsports

WHERE HE STANDS: After going back and forth between second and third place in the standings in the first four races, Dale Earnhardt Jr. climbed atop the Sprint Cup points after Fontana. He leads Brad Keselowski by 12 points and third-ranked Jimmie Johnson by 16 points.

MARTINSVILLE RECORD: 26 career starts, 0 wins, 10 top-fives, 14 top-10s and 0 poles. Best career finish: second in fall 2008 and spring 2011. Finished third in spring race there race last year and was 21st in the fall race.

LOOKING AHEAD: Ask Earnhardt which track he wants to win at the most (that he's never won at before), and the answer will likely be Martinsville. He loves the old-school style of racing there. His overall record at the half-mile bullring is outstanding. All he needs to improve is his first win there. In addition, Sunday marks Earnhardt's 600th start in the Cup series, of which he said: "I take a lot of pride in what I've accomplished over the years. I'm proud of the two (NASCAR) Nationwide championships, the wins in both series and having worked with a lot of talented people. And it's an honor to have the fan support that I do. I like that I'm able to do what I do for a living. Hopefully there's another 600 in there."

LOOKING BACK: Earnhardt earned his second second-place finish of the season this past Sunday at Fontana (other runner-up finish was in the season-opening Daytona 500).

ETC.: Earnhardt has completed 98.8 percent (12,879) of the 13,034 total laps contested in 26 career starts at Martinsville. His average start is 13.7 and average finish is 13.0. He has two DNFs there.

2 BRAD KESELOWSKI, Ford

Team: Penske Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: After holding the top spot in the Sprint Cup standings, Brad Keselowski fell back one spot into second place after Fontana. He trails new points leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. by 12 pints and leads third-ranked Jimmie Johnson by four points.

MARTINSVILLE RECORD: 6 career starts, 0 wins, 0 top-fives, 3 top-10s and 0 poles. Best career finish: sixth in fall 2012. Finished ninth in this race last year and sixth in the fall there.

LOOKING AHEAD: For a guy who does outstanding at a short track like Bristol, Keselowski has struggled throughout his career at Martinsville (and Richmond, for that matter). Maybe it's something about racing in the state of Virginia, but Keselowski's short-track acumen definitely needs a boost at Martinsville. Here's his thoughts on Sunday's race: "Martinsville is a place where I have really mixed emotions about. Early in my career, that was a place where I really couldn't figure out, to be honest. Now the last few times we have been there, I feel like we have been exceptionally strong. We didn't qualify as well as we wanted to last fall and started in the back, but by the end of the race we came on really well. I think going back to Martinsville we are a lot smarter, I am a lot wiser as to what I need and I think this year I have to be honest - I am going in feeling like we can win the race and might be one of the favorites."

LOOKING BACK: Keselowski had the best start to the season of any driver in the Sprint Cup series heading into Fontana, with two third-place and two other fourth-place finishes. But at Fontana, he struggled to a miserable, season-worst 23rd-place finish.

ETC.: Even though his success has been marginal there, Keselowski has completed 99.9 percent (3,021) of the 3,023 total laps contested in six career starts at Martinsville. His average start is 19.8 and average finish is 12.2. He has zero DNFs there.

48 JIMMIE JOHNSON, Chevrolet

Team: Hendrick Motorsports

WHERE HE STANDS: Jimmie Johnson remains in third place in the standings for the second consecutive week. He trails new points leader and teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. by 16 points, second-ranked Brad Keselowski by four points and leads both Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, who are tied for fourth, by 19 points.